2 Samuel 12:26

David’s Forces Defeat the Ammonites

12:26 ¹ So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.

Deuteronomy 3:11

3:11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy ²  that his sarcophagus ³  was made of iron. ⁴  Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath ⁵  of the Ammonites? It is thirteen and a half feet ⁶  long and six feet ⁷  wide according to standard measure.) ⁸ 

Deuteronomy 3:1

Defeat of King Og of Bashan

3:1 Next we set out on ⁹  the route to Bashan, ¹⁰  but King Og of Bashan and his whole army ¹¹  came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. ¹² 

Deuteronomy 20:1

Laws Concerning War with Distant Enemies

20:1 When you go to war against your enemies and see chariotry ¹³  and troops ¹⁴  who outnumber you, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.

Ezekiel 21:20

21:20 Mark out the routes for the sword to take: “Rabbah of the Ammonites” and “Judah with Jerusalem in it.” ¹⁵ 

[12:26]  ¹ sn Here the narrative resumes the battle story that began in 11:1 (see 11:25). The author has interrupted that story to give the related account of David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. He now returns to the earlier story and brings it to a conclusion.

[3:11]  ² tn Heb “Behold” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).

[3:11]  ³ tn The Hebrew term עֶרֶשׂ (’eres), traditionally translated “bed” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) is likely a basaltic (volcanic) stone sarcophagus of suitable size to contain the coffin of the giant Rephaite king. Its iron-like color and texture caused it to be described as an iron container. See A. Millard, “King Og’s Iron Bed: Fact or Fancy?” BR 6 (1990): 16-21, 44; cf. also NEB “his sarcophagus of basalt”; TEV, CEV “his coffin.”

[3:11]  ⁴ tn Or “of iron-colored basalt.” See note on the word “sarcophagus” earlier in this verse.

[3:11]  ⁵ sn Rabbath. This place name (usually occurring as Rabbah; 2 Sam 11:11; 12:27; Jer 49:3) refers to the ancient capital of the Ammonite kingdom, now the modern city of Amman, Jordan. The word means “great [one],” probably because of its political importance. The fact that the sarcophagus “still remain[ed]” there suggests this part of the verse is post-Mosaic, having been added as a matter of explanation for the existence of the artifact and also to verify the claim as to its size.

[3:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “nine cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 in (45 cm) for the standard cubit, this would be 13.5 ft (4.1 m) long.

[3:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “four cubits.” This would be 6 ft (1.8 m) wide.

[3:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “by the cubit of man.” This probably refers to the “short” or “regular” cubit of approximately 18 in (45 cm).

[3:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “turned and went up.”

[3:1]  ¹⁰ sn Bashan. This plateau country, famous for its oaks (Isa 2:13) and cattle (Deut 32:14; Amos 4:1), was north of Gilead along the Yarmuk River.

[3:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “people.”

[3:1]  ¹² sn Edrei is probably modern Deràa, 60 mi (95 km) south of Damascus (see Num 21:33; Josh 12:4; 13:12, 31; also mentioned in Deut 1:4).

[20:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “horse and chariot.”

[20:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “people.”

[21:20]  ¹⁵ tc The MT reads “Judah in fortified Jerusalem,” a geographic impossibility. The translation follows the LXX, which assumes בְּתוֹכָהּ (bÿtokhah, “in it”) for בְּצוּרָה (bÿtsurah, “fortified”).